"Life is an adventure if you spend it with the right people. "

Collaborations

Ever Wondered how your children’s uniform comes home looking like its been worn for 6 months without a wash? Sick of unexplained stains every day? and I dont know about you but I can never seem to get to the bottom of our washing pile,

What chance do I have really with two sets of twins!

Anyway I did a little bit of digging at parents evening this week trying to find out what my kids get up to in a day to create so much washing!

I’ve devised a little mock timeline of what happens to my kids uniform in a day.

9am – All children are sat in their seats and Register is taken.

9.15am – Melody heads to Read write ink where all the children are doing some learning from the workbooks. –

Jake has maths this morning learning about fractions.

No stains up to now! Well you know other than the toothpaste that was dribbled down their tops before the school run!

10.15am its break time – This Morning Melody opts for Toast, Jake is having a pizza slice.

Melody has used her dress as a napkin to wipe her hands. Jake wipes his mouth on his sleeve.

10.30am – They all do some topic learning this term its all about fossils so today digging is involved in the learning.

Soil is splattered all over after they fight over who is using the tools. they wipe themselves down!

12pm Lunch Time – Bolognese – What could possibly be better!

Both end up with sauce on their uniform. I’m not sure how they manage it.

Jake finishes lunch in record time and heads off to play football on the field with his friends.

Trying to score a goal Jake ends up on the floor getting grass and mud all over him.

Melody has other plans and heads off to an art club. But not before she has chocolate custard for pudding

Oh no Melody not chocolate – She drops it down her t-shirt

Then she forgets to roll up her sleeves so ends up with paint on the cuffs of her cardigan.

1.15 Registration then Afternoon lessons – Today its PE for both

Yet another set of clothes to add to the never ending laundry mountain!

Both are running round the hall playing dodge ball – by the time they are done they both are ready for a shower with sweat dripping from them.

3.30 Its finally home time – I arrive in the playground I spot my two among a sea of other suitably grubby school kids. I ask “my goodness what have you been doing all day to end up in that state?”

Time to put the washer on again.

How am I ever going to get these clean?

Well currently I’m trying out ACE Stain remover spray along with ACE for colours.

Click on the video to see my laundry routine using ACE stain remover and ACE for colours.

Leave your laundry tips below!

Right off to tackle another load!

Until next time.

Nina x

“This post is an entry for the BritMums #ACEforSchool Challenge, sponsored by ACE. Get help for all kinds of stains with the ACE Stain Helper. http://www.acecleanuk.co.uk/ or to buy head to your local Tesco’s, Morrison’s, Waitrose or Sainsbury’s.”

We are often out and about at weekends so we don’t like to commit to things that would take away our family time.

However when Jake came home with a leaflet for the local under 7s team and then begged to let me go I rang them.

Unfortunately the squad was full however they said he could still train with them.

Now both him and Melody have decided they will train. So my Thursday evenings are going to be taken up by football. Something which I never thought about before. But It’s a win win really as we still get weekends as family time while they still gets to play during the week.

I’ve no idea where this new found passion comes from the only football we really watch is the England games for the euros and the World Cup. So being a football mum is quite a step for me.

Don’t get me wrong, when I was younger I had a crush on Giggsy so obviously supported Manchester United. Come on you reds. And now here I am football mum to maybe the future crush to some poor girls never to get a look in.

Please leave me some tips for a newbie football mum. I feel I’m out of my depth somewhat.

Do I sit on the sidelines and shout or just keep quite?

Do I take oranges for half time or is that a thing of the past?

Nina x

Now. If your little ones are football mad like mine apparently are. Or you fancy doing something different with your October half term why not book them in for some FA qualified coaching provided by “Shooting Stars”

Hotel Football are running their second football camp through the Autumn half term. (22nd,24th,25th, 26th October)

The first opened by hotel co owner and former Manchester United star Phil Neville one was such a hit in the summer that they have decided to bring it back for the autumn.

This looks an amazing opportunity to learn some new skills, and to meet new friends.

Unfortunately my two are a little young this year for it however if this new found passion for football continues I think I might sign them up next year.

Heck if I was within the range I might sign up myself. Listen to this.

The children will revive a breakfast on arrival with a two course buffet for lunch.

They also receive a sticker book, stickers, a certificate and for those that attend all week a medal of attendance.

During the day children will learn all the basics of the game by doing drills and games then they will get to take part in a mini tournament.

Hotel Football October half term football Camp is suitable for boys and aged 7-12 years old.

It is based at Heaven – the rooftop terrace pitch inside Hotel Football.

There is panoramic views of the Salford Quays and of course Old Trafford.

For a day at the camp it is £40 per child with a 25% discount if. Booking for the week making the total for the week only £120. Which for a holiday club is an excellent price.

If you aren’t local to Manchester and Hotel Football do not worry. The hotel gave it covered.

They are also offering a limited number of Stay & Play packages which combines the price of the camp with a stay at one of the amazing rooms with the hotel.

Inspired by the good weather and the Little Tikes recent findings that Brits have named the first week in June * as the start of summer I thought I would write about what summer means to our family.

*despite the summer solstice being June 21st

63% of Brits state that Summer is their Favorite Season!

Summer for us means

Late nights with friends

Alfresco dinning

Beer Gardens

Mini Adventures to new places

Garden Days

One in ten Brits think that for them summer starts at the first smell of cut grass.

Every Year for at least the last 8 years we have thrown a BBQ party at the start of the kids 6 week summer holiday.

Its my birthday but we call it our summer BBQ party. we invite our friends and family, we chat, play music, dance, some have even to be known to do the conga around the garden out the gate and around the Coop shop next door! (You know who you are.)

The Majority of the UK class the first week in June as the start of summer

This BBQ party is one of the big highlights of our year. Its where our little group of friends really first started to form a bond!

So although Summer for us starts at the first cut of the grass or our first BBQ. Our Summer Party is the day we look forward to the most.

Summer coming also means I get to spend 3 days in a field (which can play havoc with my hay-fever) with 500 other women from Women’s Institutes all around the country.

3% of brits know summer has arrived when hayfever symptoms kicks in!

This 3 day break with 3 of my friends from our WI is our time no kids no husbands just us girls and a bottle of wine or two. (or 3)

What signals the start of summer for you?

Let me know any traditions you have over the summer period and how you know its summer!

Nina x

Statistics are from the Little Tikes survey of over 2000 people.

Little Tikes has an amazing range of toys for a range of ages from the simple things to do over summer like sand boxes and water tables, Swings and slides and dont forget the iconic cozy coupe .

Last week we went away to the Norfolk countryside for a family holiday on the Saturday evening we had an impromptu BBQ. While we were eating we had a game of Pointless the travel edition that I took with us.

Since the new set of twins have been born I love sitting down before dinner in the week with a cuppa and feeding the babies with my mum and joining in with the pointless game on tv.

The game is simple really you have to guess from a multiple choice the answer with the least amount of points.

This travel game is great for holidays like ours as it can just be chucked into your handbag.

So often now people are on their phone even at meal times.

This game made us actually talk to one another, laughing and joking about how little we all knew.

Grandad even said this was a great game for great family fun even though he had never heard of the game before and we ha to explain a couple of times before he got the gist of it (the questions are not really suitable for young children but older ones with a good general knowledge would be ok.)

This game has loads of questions contained in it so I think will last us a good amount of family dinners.

The game also comes in a full sized board game edition that has a free to download app that you can instal on your phone to give you the electronic score board just like the one on the tv program.

Since my Stepson turned 17 I’ve been thinking back to when I was 17. I had a full-time job, lived on my own and had a little group of friends that I went about with.

Cam my stepson turns 18 towards the end of the year and I can’t imagine him living on his own, doing grownup things, like pay bills or communicate with people outside of snapchat.

He like many his age are just lacking those life skills that is needed in the big wide world.

Like many teens nowadays Cam has spent most of his teenage life in front of a computer playing games or studying for the nightmare that has become GCSE’s

I was chatting with a group of friends who have family members around 17 that are also about to head out and find work.

We were discussing the fact that when we were their age we would apply for a job in a bar and that would entail talking to the customers, communicating with other members of staff. Something that was second nature almost. (No snapcaht in our day Gosh im sounding old) We said that the teens we all knew only really communicate by text or snapchat. They are heading out into the world without knowing how to talk face to face!

When I heard about National Citizen Service (NCS) I was intrigued into what it could offer my teenage stepson.

First of all it take place in the summer holidays when I know some of you will have other commitments booked but rest assured if you register your interest on the NCS website with no obligation NCS will do their up most to work around your plans.

So whats in it for my Teen?

Well first of all Its 5 days away from us parents. Taking part in lots of fun activities like canoeing, and Abseiling. It’s a chance to make new friends who are the same stage in life but from different backgrounds.

Then your teen heads to another residential, less adventure more like a University style camp. A chance to learn those important life skills, This for me is the important part of NCS.

This initiative is such an amazing opportunity for young people to develop their confidence, their communication skills and develop friendships that could last a lifetime.

They will learn these life skills and then use them to put together a community project, do some fundraising and make a difference to their chosen project.

Afterwards there will be a celebration with their new friends to look back on what they have achieved.

NCS will look great on your teens CV which will aid them in future endeavours whether they want to apply for a university course or go out to work!

What are you waiting for?

This action packed program could benefit your teen for just £50 thats everything included. all activities, food travel and accommodation.

There is even extra funding based on your personal case so it could be free!

Almost 400,000 have already taken part in NCS and it continues to be a powerful project for teenegers to grow into outstanding members of thier community!